I have a good friend who is a nihilist. He studied philosophy for 15 years. It's only lazy if you let it stop you from living.

@TheMiddleWay I recall in previous threads that you are decidedly an agnostic, with serious concerns about atheism, as I recall.

@TheMiddleWay I thought it was odd that you said you would side mostly with the atheist referring to that graphic, since obviously you don't really. I wouldn't side with anything on that list myself, as it is written, and you're probably the same. They was all I meant.

@TheMiddleWay "God" help anyone who tries to pin you down on anything. I'm certainly not going to try again. (Yes, I'm sure you'll reply that you don't "believe" in being pinned down, so I'll save you typing. )

@TheMiddleWay Listen sport, in previous posts you've waxed on about being an agnostic, even making a comment to me previously about this site being called agnostic.com and how it should reflect that and agnostics like yourself, and so I figured you're an agnostic, and that was a reasonable assumption, but actually it's impossible from your utterings to know what you are and I don't think you even know yourself, which is fine, and frankly I don't care because I'm actually interested in the thoughts of people who have some sense of themselves, which in my view doesn't include you, so we'll just keep out of each other's way here and all will be good in the garden. OK? Great.

@TheMiddleWay No, I'm done. Just this final reply. Never get a straight answer out of you, probing questions not withstanding. I'm not interested in probing you. You're very likely a very nice guy, but I've known others a little like you on religion. Nothing is ever clear or definitive. Never know exactly where you stand. Honestly, I joined this site to connect with clearly stated nonbelievers, not really with prevaricating agnostics (though many agnostics are more definitive than you seem to be) and loopy believers. (A few of those here) That continues to be my interest here. Good luck to you.

I think healthy nihilism says 'So what?' to the reality that nothing matters. It's difficult to let go of the ego, but once you do, I think it can be quite freeing.

@TheMiddleWay
Why can't it be both?

@TheMiddleWay

I did, and the simple fact that the author can't say why he feels that way (and, lets face it, feelings don't validate truths, as if there even are truths) reinforces my thought that Buddhism and nihilism are not mutually exclusive.

My philosopher friend is the most civic-minded human being I know. He bought a plot of land and converted it into a community garden. He retiled a bathroom at a Ronald McDonald house and charged them a t-shirt as his fee. These are just the first couple of things that l can think of. And no one that he has helped will be alive in a couple of hundred years, so what's the point, right?

Maybe you just haven't met the right kind of nihilists. (And, food for thought, my friend is also an anarchist.)

Nihilism only means that nothing matters. It is not mutually exclusive of moral principals. And, according to him, there is no system of government that works, so why subscribe to any of them?

@TheMiddleWay I did that too